Chapter 5393 The Prince of Hejian

Chapter 5393 The Prince of Hejian
Fang Jun did not immediately respond to Li Xiaogong's words. Instead, he handed the two boxes he was carrying to Li Hui and said to Li Xiaogong with a smile, "This is a new type of black tea that our family's tea shop has recently developed. It has a rich aroma and mild properties, making it perfect for health preservation. Your Highness can drink it daily."

Li Xiaogong glanced at the box and instructed Li Hui, "Brew a pot of water."

Li Hui quickly agreed and personally went to boil water and make tea.

Li Xiaogong clicked his tongue and exclaimed, "Everyone in the world admires Erlang for his 'combination of literary and martial skills and his mastery of poetry and prose,' but what I admire most about Erlang is his skill in accumulating wealth. He neither embezzles nor seizes money from the people. His methods are unbelievable yet incredibly profound. He is truly amazing."

Aside from the royal family, the biggest beneficiary of Fang Jun's various "wealth-accumulating techniques" was his Hejian County Prince's Mansion.

As maritime trade flourished, the Jiangnan Shipyard alone made a fortune. Ships built were often ready to receive deposits as soon as the keel was laid on the slipway. Demand far exceeded supply, and many powerful families even had to send their direct descendants to plead and give gifts in order to buy a ship. Otherwise, if they had to wait in line, they would not know how long they would have to wait.

Back then, relying on the help he gave Fang Jun because of his former service in the navy, he reaped a hundredfold reward.
Fang Jun humbly replied, "It is merely derived from some knowledge of investigating things and acquiring knowledge. It is not a mysterious method. As people delve deeper into physics, chemistry, and other disciplines in the future, they will surely create countless novel and wondrous things."

"I heard they're going to use the steam engines from the foundry on ships?"

"The idea is indeed there."

Li Xiaogong laughed and said, "Your steam engine has become a laughing stock. It explodes at the drop of a hat, causing countless injuries and deaths to craftsmen, and the losses are incalculable. It was only because of your insistence that this project was cancelled. If it had been someone else in charge, it would have been canceled."

The foundry was not far from Chang'an City, and many people lived nearby. Every now and then, they could hear the rumbling explosions. Although many people had seen the incredibly powerful, smoking, and roaring iron ox-like thing, no one believed that it could actually be of any use.

He only treated it as a toy for Fusajiro...

Fang Jun also laughed: "Everything has to go through a process of being recognized and accepted by the world at the beginning of its creation. Firearms are like this, and so is the steam engine. No matter what others think or say, no one can shake my will. Even if the court really cancels this project one day, I will continue to develop it even if it means going bankrupt."

As he said this, his eyes were bright and his smile was open: "Whether it's being 'both literary and martial,' 'excelling in both poetry and prose,' or even these meritorious achievements and glorious power, in my opinion, they are all just external things. Only firearms and steam engines are my greatest achievements in this life, and even a hundred or a thousand years from now, I will be remembered in history for them."

Li Xiaogong nodded: "Although I don't understand how amazing the steam engine is, the fact that you put it on par with firearms is enough to show its extraordinary power."

He then sighed, "It's a pity I'm old and won't live for many more years, so I can no longer protect you."

Fang Jun shook his head: "This junior may speak arrogantly, but times have changed. In the past, it was the Prince who helped me a lot and protected me. In the future, it should be me who shelters the Prince from the wind and rain and does my best. Does the Prince intend to have the Second Young Master take over the affairs of Jiangnan? Is he planning to make arrangements in advance?"

Li Xiaogong seemed somewhat tired, and in front of Fang Jun, he didn't care about his demeanor. He turned over and half-reclined on the couch, sighing, "I can no longer understand this world. Whether it's the power of the emperor or the power of the prime minister, the Council of State Affairs, the Grand Council... the ministers are no longer as obedient to the emperor as before, and their patriotism is even greater than their loyalty to the emperor... But aren't loyalty to the emperor and patriotism the same thing? The emperor is the country, and the country is the emperor!"

At this point, he shook his head, looking bewildered: "Although I may not understand the world, I can at least understand people. You are an unparalleled genius, and with Fang Xuanling constantly urging and reminding you, you will certainly not go astray and make a big mistake. So whether I am here or not, the Hejian Prince's Mansion will support you as always... no matter what you want to do."

Fang Jun couldn't help but ask, "If I were to rebel one day, would the Prince of Hejian's mansion follow me?"

"You really think I'm old and blind?"

Li Xiaogong chuckled and said, “I know your temperament very well. You have no attachment to power. The reason you have come to this point is simply because you want to do what you want to do. If you didn’t have these ties, you would probably rather be a wealthy man living with your wives and concubines than get involved in the intrigues of the court.”

Fang Jun exclaimed, "The Prince has such discerning eyes; he is truly a kindred spirit to me."

Li Xiaogong's eyes were cloudy, and his voice was low: "Imperial power is a good thing. It can turn fathers and sons against each other and brothers kill each other. Ultimately, it lies in its supreme rule over the world... If one day the emperor's power can no longer be used arbitrarily, will no one fight for it at all costs? Will the world be at peace? Will the Tang Dynasty last for thousands of generations?"

Li Hui stood silently to the side, his hands clasped behind his back. He did not show much surprise, which was obvious because Li Xiaogong often talked about this topic at home.

Fang Jun took a sip of tea. He couldn't figure out Li Xiaogong's thoughts, nor did he understand the meaning behind his words. He was also skeptical of Li Xiaogong's earlier statement that he would "follow you even if you rebelled." How much of it was a test?
After a long pause, he slowly nodded and said, "In a sense, when the scarcity of something decreases and it is no longer unique, its value will inevitably depreciate."

Of course, merely weakening imperial power and making it no longer supreme is far from enough. It is also necessary to formulate corresponding laws to stipulate that any act of usurpation or rebellion is illegal, and that rebels will be punished by law and condemned by the people.

But the root of all this lies in enlightening the people.

Only when the people of the world understand that the world belongs to all people and that no one should have the power of life and death will the imperial power be fundamentally restrained.

This requires a transformation, either from the outside in or from the bottom up, that would have an irreversible impact on the current social structure.

*****
In China's thousands of years of history, when did the people truly begin to be enlightened?
It was in the late Qing Dynasty.

Throughout its two-thousand-year history, Confucianism has repeatedly put forward the concept of "enlightening the people," but in reality, it has neither made any substantial progress nor implemented any concrete methods. It has merely been a slogan used to fool the world. Although the core of Confucianism has changed over the past two thousand years, whether it is Confucius's "benevolence and propriety," Mencius's "benevolent governance and people-oriented approach," Dong Zhongshu's "interaction between heaven and man," Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism's "preserving heavenly principles and eliminating human desires," or Wang Yangming's "unity of knowledge and action" and Gu Yanwu's "practical application of knowledge to the world," no one has ever been committed to enlightening the people or "education for all."

Because once the people's wisdom is awakened, it will completely shake the foundation of the regime that has lasted for thousands of years.

It was not until the late Qing Dynasty that this situation underwent a fundamental change, with the systematic introduction of Western Enlightenment ideas, the establishment of a modern education system, and a critical reflection on traditional authority.

The root cause of this situation lies not in the degeneration of Confucianism, nor in the progress of imperial power, but in the unparalleled impact of enormous international pressure on two thousand years of centralized power. More and more people have come to realize the harm of imperial power and the drawbacks of centralized power, and have taken the initiative to go out and carry out ideological reforms.

However, now that the Tang Dynasty is powerful and prosperous, it is impossible for a change from the outside to the inside to occur without strong external pressure.

Moreover, how could such a situation generate such a huge impact if it were not a time of national survival?

Therefore, the "enlightenment of the people" in the Tang Dynasty could only be a bottom-up, subtle and gradual transformation.

A massive influx of wealth, the flourishing of natural sciences, the rise of the imperial examination system, the relative perfection of the tax system, and the gradual separation of military and political power... This transformation may take a long time, but its process is irreversible. Once a certain critical point is reached, everything will fall into place naturally.

Whether it's a constitutional monarchy, a federal parliament, or even a republic... no matter what form of government emerges, the Tang Dynasty will be at the forefront of human history, bringing an end to "monarchical centralization."

This requires decades, hundreds of years of preparation, development, and even breakthroughs, and Fang Jun certainly won't live to see that day.

But now he has planted such a seed and planned its growth direction after it sprouts; everything is up to fate.

……

East Palace.

Upon hearing that his master had sent over several Ferghana horses, the legendary "blood-sweating horses," Crown Prince Li Xiang was restless. Finally, he received the Empress's approval and dashed off to the stables.

Empress Su sat on a chair in the side hall, her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed and her eyes darting around. She said in a reproachful tone, "Even I, a woman, understand the principle that indulging in pleasures leads to the loss of ambition. Why does Erlang dote on the Crown Prince so much? Instead of giving him a few fine horses, it would be better to give him a few books, so that he can learn more and make progress."

Judging from his expression, he probably suspected that Fang Jun wanted to cultivate a foolish monarch who was ignorant and incompetent, so that he could seize power and usurp the emperor's authority in the future...

Fang Jun sat on the chair next to her, and when he turned his head, he could see the fair and slender neck of Empress Su under her high-piled hair. He smiled and said, "Humans have their own nature. Why should the Empress go against nature? Learning and playing are never contradictory. The best way to educate is to combine work and rest."

Empress Su snorted and said coquettishly, "You always have a bunch of high-sounding principles; I can't argue with you!"

"Cough cough!"

The atmosphere grew increasingly ambiguous, so Fang Jun quickly changed the subject: "Your Majesty, I just went to the Prince of Hejian's residence to deliver New Year's gifts and chatted with him for a while..."

He softly repeated Li Xiaogong's words, and finally said, "The Prince's intention is very clear: the Prince of Hejian's mansion will stand on the side of the Eastern Palace."

Empress Su was overjoyed, her beautiful eyes sparkling, and she exclaimed excitedly, "The Prince is indeed a man of great virtue!"

Although the nominal head of the imperial clan is now the Minister of the Imperial Clan, Prince Han, Li Yuanjia, Li Xiaogong far surpasses him in terms of prestige, merit, and seniority. With Li Xiaogong's support, the winds within the imperial clan will inevitably shift towards the Crown Prince.

Seeing Empress Su's delighted expression, Fang Jun thought for a moment and then asked, "Why does Your Majesty think the Prince abandoned His Majesty and turned to support the Crown Prince?"

(End of this chapter)